U.S. patent number 10,195,626 [Application Number 15/522,415] was granted by the patent office on 2019-02-05 for trigger-type liquid dispenser.
This patent grant is currently assigned to YOSHINO KOGYOSHO CO., LTD.. The grantee listed for this patent is Kotaro Fujiwara, Shigeo Iizuka, Hiroyuki Nakamura. Invention is credited to Kotaro Fujiwara, Shigeo Iizuka, Hiroyuki Nakamura.
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United States Patent |
10,195,626 |
Fujiwara , et al. |
February 5, 2019 |
Trigger-type liquid dispenser
Abstract
A trigger-type liquid dispenser that, even when lateral force is
applied to a trigger, prevents liquid leakage. The trigger-type
liquid dispenser includes a pump, which includes: a cylinder, which
includes an inner tubular wall and an outer tubular wall; a piston,
which has a front-side end portion; a front-side sealing piece and
a rear-side sealing piece; an outer-circumferential-side support
portion; and an inner-circumferential-side support portion. The
outer-circumferential-side support portion is provided with an
annular cut-off portion, which forms a gap between the
outer-circumferential-side support portion and an outer
circumferential surface of the piston.
Inventors: |
Fujiwara; Kotaro (Tokyo,
JP), Nakamura; Hiroyuki (Tokyo, JP),
Iizuka; Shigeo (Tokyo, JP) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Fujiwara; Kotaro
Nakamura; Hiroyuki
Iizuka; Shigeo |
Tokyo
Tokyo
Tokyo |
N/A
N/A
N/A |
JP
JP
JP |
|
|
Assignee: |
YOSHINO KOGYOSHO CO., LTD.
(Tokyo, JP)
|
Family
ID: |
56073917 |
Appl.
No.: |
15/522,415 |
Filed: |
November 11, 2015 |
PCT
Filed: |
November 11, 2015 |
PCT No.: |
PCT/JP2015/005627 |
371(c)(1),(2),(4) Date: |
April 27, 2017 |
PCT
Pub. No.: |
WO2016/084320 |
PCT
Pub. Date: |
June 02, 2016 |
Prior Publication Data
|
|
|
|
Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
|
US 20170348716 A1 |
Dec 7, 2017 |
|
Foreign Application Priority Data
|
|
|
|
|
Nov 28, 2014 [JP] |
|
|
2014-241857 |
Nov 28, 2014 [JP] |
|
|
2014-242333 |
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B05B
11/3057 (20130101); B05B 11/3077 (20130101); B05B
11/3009 (20130101); B05B 11/3011 (20130101); B65D
83/00 (20130101); B05B 11/3045 (20130101); F04B
9/14 (20130101); B05B 11/305 (20130101); B05B
11/3067 (20130101); B05B 11/3032 (20130101); B05B
11/3023 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
F04B
9/14 (20060101); B05B 11/00 (20060101); B65D
83/00 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;222/383.1 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
19948462 |
|
Sep 2000 |
|
DE |
|
1013345 |
|
Jun 2000 |
|
EP |
|
1190776 |
|
Mar 2002 |
|
EP |
|
H10-277446 |
|
Oct 1998 |
|
JP |
|
2000-302154 |
|
Oct 2000 |
|
JP |
|
2005-211807 |
|
Aug 2005 |
|
JP |
|
2009131799 |
|
Jun 2009 |
|
JP |
|
2011-073719 |
|
Apr 2011 |
|
JP |
|
2012-096144 |
|
May 2012 |
|
JP |
|
2015-085289 |
|
May 2015 |
|
JP |
|
2014/016709 |
|
Jan 2014 |
|
WO |
|
Other References
Feb. 16, 2016 International Search Report issued in International
Patent Application No. PCT/JP2015/005627. cited by applicant .
May 30, 2017 International Preliminary Report on Patentability
issued in International Patent Application No. PCT/JP2015/005627.
cited by applicant .
Sep. 5, 2018 Office Action issued in Chinese Patent Application No.
201580061824.2. cited by applicant .
May 30, 2018 Search Report issued in European Patent Application
No. 15862675.4. cited by applicant .
Jun. 5, 2018 Office Action issued in Japanese Patent Application
No. 2014-242333. cited by applicant.
|
Primary Examiner: Carroll; Jeremy
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Oliff PLC
Claims
The invention claimed is:
1. A trigger-type liquid dispenser comprising a dispenser main body
fitted to a mouth of a container containing a liquid, a nozzle
disposed on a downstream side of a flow path provided in the
dispenser main body, and a pump that is actuated in response to
operation of a trigger to pressure-feed the liquid contained in the
container to the nozzle through the flow path, wherein the pump
includes: a cylinder that has a coaxial double-wall configuration
including an inner tubular wall and an outer tubular wall and that
communicates with the flow path; a piston that is fitted
displaceably between the inner tubular wall and the outer tubular
wall in a direction extending along a center axis of the cylinder
and that has a front-side end portion engaged with the trigger; a
front-side sealing piece and a rear-side sealing piece that each
are provided integrally in the piston and that each abut against an
inner circumferential surface of the outer tubular wall in a
liquid-tight manner; an outer-circumferential-side support portion
that is provided integrally in the piston on a front side of the
front-side sealing piece and that slidably abuts against the inner
circumferential surface of the outer tubular wall; and an
inner-circumferential-side support portion that is provided
integrally on at least one of an outer circumferential surface of
the inner tubular wall and an inner circumferential surface of the
piston and that slidably abuts against another one of the outer
circumferential surface of the inner tubular wall and the inner
circumferential surface of the piston, the
outer-circumferential-side support portion is provided with an
annular cut-off portion that forms a gap between the
outer-circumferential-side support portion and an outer
circumferential surface of the piston, the piston is provided with
a coupling wall that protrudes from the outer circumferential
surface of the piston toward the outer tubular wall, and the
outer-circumferential-side support portion is configured by an
annular wall and a plurality of annular wall projections, the
annular wall being coupled to an outer circumferential end of the
coupling wall and extending to the front side, and the plurality of
annular wall projections being provided on an outer circumferential
surface of the annular wall at an interval in a circumferential
direction to slidably abut against the inner circumferential
surface of the outer tubular wall, the front-side sealing piece is
formed in an umbrella shape that is coupled to the annular wall on
a rear side of the annular wall projections and that has a diameter
increasing toward the rear side, and the rear-side sealing piece is
formed in an umbrella shape that is coupled to the outer
circumferential end of the coupling wall and that has a diameter
increasing toward the rear side.
2. The trigger-type liquid dispenser according to claim 1, wherein
the inner-circumferential-side support portion is configured by a
plurality of projections that is disposed at an interval in a
circumferential direction.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present disclosure relates to a trigger-type liquid dispenser
that is attached to a mouth of a container containing a liquid and
that dispenses the liquid contained in the container through a
nozzle in the form of spray or foam.
BACKGROUND
As a dispenser attached to a mouth of a container containing a
liquid, such as an antimold, a detergent, a sizing agent for
textiles, household wax, a hair liquid, and an aromatic, a
trigger-type liquid dispenser is widely used. Such a trigger-type
liquid dispenser may dispense the liquid through a nozzle in the
form of spray or foam with use of a pump configured to be actuated
in response to operation of a trigger.
Such a trigger-type liquid dispenser also includes a dispenser main
body fitted to the mouth of the container by, for example, a
fitting cap, and the dispenser main body is provided with a flow
path communicating with the container, and the nozzle is fitted on
the downstream side of the flow path. The pump is connected to the
midway of the flow path, and, when the pump is actuated, the liquid
contained in the container is pressure-fed along the flow path and
dispensed to the outside through the nozzle.
Furthermore, such a trigger-type liquid dispenser, as commonly
used, includes a pump including a cylinder and a piston. In this
case, the piston is provided, on an outer circumferential surface
thereof, integrally with a sealing piece, which protrudes to the
outer side in the radial direction from the outer circumferential
surface and which is in sliding contact with an inner
circumferential surface of the cylinder for sealing between the
cylinder and the piston. The piston also has a front-side end
portion engaged with the trigger, and, as the trigger is operated,
the piston is pushed into the cylinder to pressure-feed the liquid
to the flow path. (Refer, for example, to Patent Literature 1.)
CITATION LIST
Patent Literature
PTL 1: JP2000302154A
SUMMARY
Technical Problem
However, since in the conventional trigger-type liquid dispenser
the front-side end portion of the piston is engaged with the
trigger, the following problem arises. For example, assume that the
container fitted with the trigger-type liquid dispenser is placed
together with other products in a shopping cart or the like, and
that the trigger is pushed in the horizontal direction (to the
lateral side). Assume also that the trigger is operated in the
oblique direction during use. In such a situation, lateral force is
applied to the trigger, and the piston may be tilted with respect
to the cylinder. The tilting of the piston with respect to the
cylinder causes excessive deformation of the sealing piece, thereby
deteriorating sealing performance between the piston and the
cylinder. This might lead to liquid leakage.
The present disclosure is to solve the above problem, and the
present disclosure is to provide a trigger-type liquid dispenser
that, even when lateral force is applied to the trigger, prevents
liquid leakage.
Solution to Problem
One of aspects of the present disclosure resides in a trigger-type
liquid dispenser including a dispenser main body fitted to a mouth
of a container containing a liquid, a nozzle disposed on a
downstream side of a flow path provided in the dispenser main body,
and a pump that is actuated in response to operation of a trigger
to pressure-feed the liquid contained in the container to the
nozzle through the flow path. The pump includes: a cylinder that
has a coaxial double-wall configuration including an inner tubular
wall and an outer tubular wall and that communicates with the flow
path; a piston that is fitted displaceably between the inner
tubular wall and the outer tubular wall in a direction extending
along a center axis of the cylinder and that has a front-side end
portion engaged with the trigger; a front-side sealing piece and a
rear-side sealing piece that each are provided integrally in the
piston and that each abut against an inner circumferential surface
of the outer tubular wall in a liquid-tight manner; an
outer-circumferential-side support portion that is provided
integrally in the piston on a front side of the front-side sealing
piece and that slidably abuts against the inner circumferential
surface of the outer tubular wall; and an
inner-circumferential-side support portion that is provided
integrally on at least one of an outer circumferential surface of
the inner tubular wall and an inner circumferential surface of the
piston and that slidably abuts against another one of the outer
circumferential surface of the inner tubular wall and the inner
circumferential surface of the piston. The
outer-circumferential-side support portion is provided with an
annular cut-off portion that forms a gap between the
outer-circumferential-side support portion and an outer
circumferential surface of the piston.
In a preferred embodiment, the inner-circumferential-side support
portion is configured by a plurality of projections that is
disposed at an interval in a circumferential direction.
In another preferred embodiment, the piston is provided with a
coupling wall that protrudes from the outer circumferential surface
of the piston toward the outer tubular wall, and the
outer-circumferential-side support portion is configured by an
annular wall and projections, the annular wall being coupled to an
outer circumferential end of the coupling wall and extending to the
front side, and the projections being provided on an outer
circumferential surface of the annular wall at an interval in a
circumferential direction to slidably abut against the inner
circumferential surface of the outer tubular wall.
In a yet another preferred embodiment, the front-side sealing piece
is formed in an umbrella shape that is coupled to the annular wall
on a rear side of the projections and that has a diameter
increasing toward the rear side, and the rear-side sealing piece is
formed in an umbrella shape that is coupled to the outer
circumferential end of the coupling wall and that has a diameter
increasing toward the rear side.
Advantageous Effect
In the present disclosure, the outer-circumferential-side support
portion, which slidably abuts against the inner circumferential
surface of the outer tubular wall, is provided on the front side of
the front-side sealing piece provided in the piston, and the
inner-circumferential-side support portion is provided on at least
one of the outer circumferential surface of the inner tubular wall
and the inner circumferential surface of the piston to slidably
abut against the other one of the outer circumferential surface of
the inner tubular wall and the inner circumferential surface of the
piston. Accordingly, when lateral force is applied to the trigger,
the support portions support lateral load applied to the piston and
prevent tilting of the piston with respect to the cylinder. This
permits the sealing pieces to abut against the cylinder stably.
Furthermore, the outer-circumferential-side support portion is
provided with the annular cut-off portion that forms the gap
between the outer-circumferential-side support portion and the
outer circumferential surface of the piston. Accordingly, even when
the tilting of the piston is increased, the tilting is less likely
to proceed to the sealing pieces, and liquid leakage from a portion
of the pump is prevented.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the accompanying drawings:
FIG. 1 is a sectional view illustrating a trigger-type liquid
dispenser according to one of embodiments of the present
disclosure;
FIG. 2 is a partial enlarged view of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a sectional view (illustrating only a cylinder and a
piston) taken along A-A in FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a half sectional view illustrating a piston of FIG.
1;
FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate a principle of preventing deformation of
a sealing piece by way of sectional views (illustrating only a
trigger, a piston, and a cylinder) taken along B-B in FIG. 1, with
FIG. 5A illustrating a normal state and with FIG. 5B illustrating a
state in which lateral force is applied to the trigger;
FIG. 6 is a front view illustrating a dispenser main body (from
which a piston is removed and) to which a shroud is fitted;
FIG. 7 is a plan view illustrating a shroud of a dispenser main
body of FIG. 6 by a two-dot chain line;
FIGS. 8A, 8B, and 8C are respectively a front view, a side view,
and a bottom view of a shroud;
FIG. 9A is a front view illustrating a guide rail provided in a
side wall of a shroud, and FIG. 9B illustrates a view A in FIG. 9A
along with a plan view thereof;
FIGS. 10A and FIG. 10B are respectively a side view and a back view
illustrating a dispenser main body (from which a piston is removed)
of FIG. 1;
FIGS. 11A to 11C illustrate how a guide rail is inserted to a guide
groove and brought into undercut engagement with an engagement
surface;
FIG. 12 is a side view illustrating a trigger-type liquid
dispenser;
FIG. 13 is a sectional view taken along B-B in FIG. 12; and
FIG. 14 is a sectional view taken along C-C in FIG. 12.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
A trigger-type liquid dispenser according to one of embodiments of
the present disclosure will be described in detail below with
reference to the drawings. Note that, in the present specification,
claims, abstract, and drawings, the side on which a shroud is
located with respect to a fitting cap which is later described is
defined as upward (the upper side in FIG. 1), and the opposite side
is defined as downward (the lower side in FIG. 1). Furthermore, the
side on which a trigger is located with respect to a piston is
defined as forward (the left side in FIG. 1), and the opposite side
is defined as rearward (the right side in FIG. 1). Moreover, the
directions that are orthogonal to the upper-lower direction and the
front-rear direction (the directions that are orthogonal to the
drawing in FIG. 1) are defined as lateral sides (left and right
directions).
In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a trigger-type liquid
dispenser according to one of embodiments of the present
disclosure. The trigger-type liquid dispenser 1 is attached to a
mouth 2a of a container 2 for use. The container 2 contains, for
example, a liquid such as an antimold as a content liquid. FIG. 1
illustrates a state in which the trigger-type liquid dispenser 1 is
attached to the mouth 2a of the container 2.
The trigger-type liquid dispenser 1 includes a resin-made dispenser
main body 10, which is attached to the mouth 2a of the container 2.
The dispenser main body 10 includes, in a lower end thereof, a
coupling tube 11, to which a fitting cap 12 is held in a manner
such that the fitting cap 12 is relatively rotatable. The fitting
cap 12 is formed in a cylindrical shape and provided, on an inner
circumferential surface thereof, with a female screw 12a. The
dispenser main body 10 is fixed to the mouth 2a of the container 2
by screw-connecting the female screw 12a to a male screw 2b, which
is provided on an outer circumferential surface of the mouth 2a of
the container 2, while the coupling tube 11 is fitted to the mouth
2a of the container 2. Additionally, reference numeral 13 denotes a
sealing member that seals between the mouth 2a of the container 2
and the coupling tube 11.
The dispenser main body 10 is formed in a substantially L-shape
including a standing portion 14, which extends from the coupling
tube 11 in a direction extending along the center axis of the
coupling tube 11, and also including an extension portion 15, which
extends in a direction orthogonal to the standing portion 14. The
standing portion 14 is provided, inside thereof, with a standing
flow path P1, which communicates with the coupling tube 11, and the
standing flow path P1 has a lower end to which a drawing tube 16,
which is inserted into the container 2, is connected. On the other
hand, the extension portion 15 is provided with an extension flow
path P2, which extends in the direction orthogonal to the standing
flow path P1. The extension flow path P2 is provided, on the
downstream side thereof, with a delivery port 17.
Furthermore, the trigger-type liquid dispenser 1 includes a pump
18. The pump 18 includes an inner tubular wall 19 and an outer
tubular wall 20 and also includes a cylinder 21, which is attached
to the dispenser main body 10. The cylinder 21 is provided with an
outlet/inlet hole 22, and the inside of the cylinder 21
communicates with the standing flow path P1 via the outlet/inlet
hole 22.
Between the inner tubular wall 19 and the outer tubular wall 20,
there is disposed a piston 23, which is fitted displaceably in a
direction extending along the center axis of the cylinder 21. As
illustrated in FIG. 2, the piston 23 is provided with a front-side
sealing piece 24 and a rear-side sealing piece 25, which abut
against an inner circumferential surface of the outer tubular wall
20 in a liquid-tight manner. The piston 23 is also provided with an
outer-circumferential-side support portion 26, which is provided
integrally with the piston 23 on the front side of the front-side
sealing piece 24 and which slidably abuts against the inner
circumferential surface of the outer tubular wall 20. The piston 23
has an inner circumferential surface, which slidably abuts against
an inner-circumferential-side support portion 27, which is provided
on an outer circumferential surface of the inner tubular wall 19.
Although the outer-circumferential-side support portion 26 and the
inner-circumferential-side support portion 27 may abut against the
inner circumferential surface of the outer tubular wall 20 and the
inner circumferential surface of the piston 23 around the entire
circumferences thereof, as described later below, these portions 26
and 27 are in partial abutment in the circumferential direction in
the present embodiment. The outer-circumferential-side support
portion 26 is disposed along the center axis of the piston 23, and
the outer-circumferential-side support portion 26 is also provided
with an annular cut-off portion 28, which forms a gap between the
outer-circumferential-side support portion 26 and an outer
circumferential surface of the piston 23.
In the present embodiment herein, the piston 23 is provided with an
annular coupling wall 29, which protrudes from the outer
circumferential surface of the piston 23 toward the outer tubular
wall 20. The aforementioned outer-circumferential-side support
portion 26 is configured by an annular wall 30, which is coupled to
an outer circumferential end of the coupling wall 29 and which
extends to the front side, and a plurality of annular wall
projections 31 (refer to FIGS. 3 and 4), which is provided on an
outer circumferential surface of the annular wall 30 at an interval
in the circumferential direction and which slidably abuts against
the inner circumferential surface of the outer tubular wall 20.
Furthermore, the front-side sealing piece 24 is formed in an
umbrella shape which is coupled to the annular wall 30 on the rear
side of the annular wall projections 31 and which has a diameter
increasing toward the rear side. In this case, the aforementioned
cut-off portion 28 is formed between the annular wall 30 and the
outer circumferential surface of the piston 23. Moreover, the
rear-side sealing piece 25 is formed in an umbrella shape which is
coupled to the outer circumferential end of the coupling wall 29
and which has a diameter increasing toward the rear side. In this
case, a rear-side cut-off portion 28a is formed between the
rear-side sealing piece 25 and the outer circumferential surface of
the piston 23. The above configuration allows the piston 23 to be
formed easily by, for example, injection molding using a mold.
As illustrated in FIG. 3, the inner-circumferential-side support
portion 27 in the present embodiment is configured by a plurality
of projections 32, which is disposed at an interval in the
circumferential direction on the outer circumferential surface of
the inner tubular wall 19. The projections 32 may also be provided
on the inner circumferential surface of the piston 23, so that the
projections 32 abut against the outer circumferential surface of
the inner tubular wall 19.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, the outer tubular wall 20 is provided
with an air intake hole 20a, which is exposed to the outside when
the piston 23 is displaced to its stroke end by the trigger which
is described later. The dispenser main body 10 is also provided
with a vent hole 10a, through which the inside of the container 2
communicates with the air intake hole 20a. Accordingly, when the
liquid contained in the container 2 is dispensed by actuating the
pump 18, ambient air is drawn into the container 2 through the air
intake hole 20a, and the ambient air replaces the liquid contained
in the container 2.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, the standing flow path P1 is provided, on
the upstream side of the outlet/inlet hole 22 (on the lower side of
the outlet/inlet hole 22 in FIG. 1), with the first check valve 33.
The first check valve 33 operates to allow the liquid to flow from
the inside of the container 2 toward the outlet/inlet hole 22 and
to prevent the liquid, after being discharged through the
outlet/inlet hole 22 in response to actuation of the pump 18, from
flowing toward the container 2 through the standing flow path P1.
The standing flow path P1 is also provided, on the downstream side
of the outlet/inlet hole 22 (on the upper side of the outlet/inlet
hole 22 in FIG. 1), with the second check valve 34. The second
check valve 34 operates to allow the liquid, after being discharged
through the outlet/inlet hole 22 in response to actuation of the
pump 18, to flow toward the delivery port 17 through the standing
flow path P1 and the extension flow path P2 and to prevent the
liquid from flowing from the delivery port 17 toward the
outlet/inlet hole 22.
The dispenser main body 10 is provided with the operating lever
(trigger) 35. The trigger 35, on its one end side, is supported
swingably by the dispenser main body 10 about a pivot shaft 36. The
trigger 35 is provided, in a middle portion thereof, with a pin
member 37, which engages with a concave portion 23a, which is
provided in a front-side end portion of the piston 23. With the
trigger T, a front end of a curve-shaped plate spring S, which has
a base end fixed to and held by the dispenser main body 10, is
engaged. The plate spring S urges the trigger 35 toward a direction
(i.e., a clockwise direction about the pivot shaft 36 in FIG. 1)
away from the pump 18.
When the trigger 35 is pulled toward the pump 18, the first check
valve 33 is closed, and the piston 23 increases the liquid pressure
inside the cylinder 21. Consequently, the liquid contained in the
cylinder 21 is delivered from the outlet/inlet hole 22 into the
extension flow path P2 through the second check valve 34. On the
other hand, when the trigger 35 is released from the pulling
operation, the trigger 35 is returned to its initial position due
to resilience of the plate spring S. In conjunction with the return
movement, the second check valve 34 is closed, the first check
valve 33 is opened, and the liquid contained in the container 2 is
drawn from the outlet/inlet hole 22 into the cylinder 21 via the
tube 16 and the standing flow path P1. By thus repeating pulling
and releasing operations of the trigger 35, the pump 18 may be
actuated to draw the liquid contained in the container 2 through
the standing flow path P1 and to pressure-feed the liquid to the
delivery port 17 through the extension flow path P2.
In the present embodiment, between the standing flow path P1 and
the tube 16, there is provided an upright and inverted dual
mechanism 38, which permits the liquid contained in the container 2
to be supplied to the pump 18 regardless of whether the container
2, to which the trigger-type liquid dispenser 1 is fitted, is in an
upright or an inverted position. When the container 2 is in the
upright position, the upright and inverted dual mechanism 38 is in
a closed state where a ball-shaped valve body 38a closes an outlet
hole 38c of a valve chamber 38b, so that the liquid may be
introduced to the standing flow path P1 via the tube 16. On the
other hand, when the container 2 is in the inverted position, the
upright and inverted dual mechanism 38 is brought into an opened
state by the valve body 38a being displaced in the valve chamber
38b in a direction away from the outlet hole 38c, so that the
liquid pooled inside the coupling tube 11 may be introduced from an
inlet hole 38d to the standing flow path P1 via the valve chamber
38b, the outlet hole 38c, and a flow path 38e, which is used during
inversion. Thus, the liquid contained in the container 2 may be
supplied to the pump 18 both in the upright and inverted
positions.
To the extension portion 15 of the dispenser main body 10, a nozzle
39 is fitted to communicate with the delivery port 17. The nozzle
39 is provided with a dispensing hole 39a and configured to
dispense the liquid, after being pressure-fed from the container 2
to the delivery port 17 by the pump 18, to the outside through the
dispensing hole 39a. The nozzle 39 may be fitted rotatably to the
extension portion 15 and may be configured to switch the liquid to
be delivered from the delivery port 17 between a spray dispensing
mode and a closed mode. Additionally, a linearly dispensing mode or
a foam discharging mode may also be provided instead or
supplementarily. The nozzle 39 includes, on the front side thereof,
a cover 40, which is configured to be opened and closed via a hinge
39b. By opening and closing the cover 40, the nozzle 39 may be
configured to change the foam quality of the dispensed liquid.
To the dispenser main body 10, a shroud 50, which covers a majority
of the dispenser main body 10 and the pump 18, is also fitted. The
trigger 35 protrudes from the lower side of the shroud 50 and
swings without interfering with the shroud 50.
In the trigger-type liquid dispenser 1 configured as above, since
the annular wall projections 31 slidably abut against the inner
circumferential surface of the outer tubular wall 20 and since the
projections 32 slidably abut against the inner circumferential
surface of the piston 23 as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the
piston 23 is displaced linearly along the center axis of the
cylinder 21. Accordingly, the front-side sealing piece 24 and the
rear-side sealing piece 25 abut against the inner circumferential
surface of the outer tubular wall 20 stably, and sealing
performance between the cylinder 21 and the piston 23 is secured
sufficiently.
Furthermore, when lateral force is applied to the trigger 35, the
piston 23, which engages with the trigger 35, will be tilted from
the state illustrated in FIG. 5A to the state illustrated in FIG.
5B. Nevertheless, since the cut-off portion 28 is provided in the
piston 23 and since the annular wall projections 31, which are
provided on the annular wall 30, are adjacent to the outer tubular
wall 20, the tilting of the piston 23 is absorbed by the coupling
wall 29. This reduces the effect on the front-side sealing piece 24
and the rear-side sealing piece 25 caused by the tilted piston 23,
thereby preventing liquid leakage effectively. In the present
embodiment, due to the rear-side cut-off portion 28a, which
increases an acceptable degree of deformation of the coupling wall
29, the effect caused by the tilted piston 23 is further reduced.
This allows a high level of liquid leakage prevention.
Moreover, in the present embodiment, due to the two sealing pieces
of the front-side sealing piece 24 and the rear-side sealing piece
25, liquid leakage prevention is ensured.
As can be seen from FIGS. 6 to 8C, the shroud 50 includes a ceiling
wall 51, which is disposed above the dispenser main body 10 to
cover the upper side of the dispenser main body 10, a pair of side
walls 52, which are connected to both sides of the ceiling wall 51
and extend downward to cover the lateral sides of the dispenser
main body 10, a bottom wall 53, which is connected to rear-side
lower ends of the pair of side walls 52, and a tilted rear end wall
54, which is connected to the walls 51 to 53 and which faces toward
the rear side.
The shroud 50 is slide-fitted to the dispenser main body 10 from
the rear side to the front side thereof. Accordingly, the shroud 50
is provided, on inner surfaces of the side walls 52, with guide
rails 60. The dispenser main body 10 is also provided, on side
portions thereof, with guide grooves 70, which guide the guide
rails 60 in a sliding manner.
As illustrated in FIG. 8A to 8C, each of the pair of guide rails 60
is located substantially in the middle in the height direction and
substantially in the middle in the front-rear direction on the
inner surface of the corresponding side wall 52 of the shroud 50.
The guide rails 60 on the left and the right are symmetrical and
have substantially the same shape, and accordingly, a description
is given only of one of the guide rails 60.
As illustrated in FIG. 9, the guide rail 60, in its section, is
formed in an L-shape including a horizontal rail portion 61 and a
flat-plate-shaped vertical rail portion 62. The horizontal rail
portion 61 is formed in a flat plate shape that is perpendicular
with respect to the upper-lower direction, that protrudes from the
inner surface of the corresponding side wall 52 of the shroud 50
toward the dispenser main body 10, and that extends over a
predetermined length along the front-rear direction. The vertical
rail portion 62 is perpendicularly connected to an inner-side end
edge of the horizontal rail portion 61 over the entire range
thereof in the front-rear direction. The guide rail 60 has a
front-side end that has a rounded shape so that the guide rail 60
may be inserted to the corresponding guide groove 70 easily.
As illustrated in FIG. 8B, the length of the guide rail 60 in the
front-rear direction is sufficiently smaller than the length of the
side wall 52 of the shroud 50 in the front-rear direction.
Furthermore, the front end portion of the guide rail 60 is located
away from the front end edge of the side wall 52 of the shroud 50,
and the rear end portion of the guide rail 60 is also located away
from the rear end edge of the side wall 52, namely, the rear end
wall 54, of the shroud 50.
As illustrated in FIGS. 9A and 9B, the guide rail 60 is also
provided integrally with an engagement projection 63. The
engagement projection 63 is provided on the inner surface of the
rear end portion of the vertical rail portion 62 that faces to the
side wall 52 (that is coupled to the horizontal rail portion 61),
and the engagement projection 63 protrudes from the inner surface
toward the side wall 52. The most protruding portion of the
engagement projection 63 forms a flat surface 63a, which extends in
parallel with the vertical rail portion 62. On the front side of
the flat surface 63a, the engagement projection 63 also includes a
tilted surface 63b, whose height increases gradually from the front
end side toward the rear end side of the guide rail 60. The
engagement projection 63 further includes a rear end surface that
is formed to be flush with the rear end surface of the vertical
rail portion 62. The rear end surface of the engagement projection
63 forms an engagement surface 64, which is used for undercut
engagement of the guide rail 60.
The shroud 50 is formed by injection molding a resin material by
using a mold. The mold used to mold the shroud 50 includes an inner
mold section and an outer mold section that is assembled to the
exterior of the inner mold section from the rear side. The ceiling
wall 51, the side wall 52, the bottom wall 53, and the rear end
wall 54 are molded between the inner and outer mold sections. The
inner mold section is provided, in a middle portion in the
upper-lower direction thereof, with a stripper used to remove the
molded shroud 50 from the inner mold section. The stripper is
relatively displaceable toward the rear side with respect to the
inner mold section. The stripper is provided, on an upper surface
thereof, with a stepped portion extending from the rear end side,
and the inner mold section is provided, on an inner surface
thereof, with a stepped portion extending from the front side. A
gap formed between these stepped portions helps mold the guide rail
60 in an undercut shape integrally with the side wall 52 of the
shroud 50.
After the shroud 50 is molded, the mold is opened, and the stripper
is displaced rearward. By doing so, the molded shroud 50 is pushed
rearward by the stripper and removed from the inner mold section.
Furthermore, the stripper has a lower end surface that is inclined.
As being displaced rearward, the stripper is displaced downward
along the inclination. With the above configuration, while the
molded shroud 50 is pushed rearward by the stripper, the guide rail
60 is released from the stepped portion by letting the stripper
escape to the lower side with respect to the molded guide rail 60.
Thus, the shroud 50, along with the integrally molded guide rail
60, is removed from the inner mold section easily.
On the other hand, as illustrated in FIG. 10, the guide groove 70,
which is disposed in each side portion of the dispenser main body
10, is defined and formed by a recess 71, which is provided in the
side portion of the dispenser main body 10 to extend in the
front-rear direction, and a partition wall 72, which is disposed on
the upper side of the recess 71 and which has an L-shaped section.
The guide groove 70 is formed in an L-shape including a horizontal
groove 73, which extends in the left-right direction in the side
portion of the dispenser main body 10, and a vertical groove 74,
which extends upward from a base portion of the horizontal groove
73. The width of the horizontal groove 73 is slightly greater than
the thickness of the horizontal rail portion 61. On the other hand,
the width of the vertical groove 74 is slightly greater than the
thickness of the vertical rail portion 62, and accordingly, the
vertical rail portion 62 may be displaced within the vertical
groove 74 in the thickness direction over a height over which the
engagement projection 63 protrudes.
Furthermore, as illustrated in FIGS. 6, 10A, 10B, 12, and 13,
disengagement prevention ribs 76 extend from both the side portions
of the dispenser main body 10 toward the side walls 52 of the
shroud 50. Each disengagement prevention rib 76 serves to support
the corresponding guide rail 60 from below when the guide rail 60
reaches its stroke end position.
When the guide rail 60 is inserted to the corresponding guide
groove 70 from the rear side, that is to say, the insertion end
side, the horizontal groove 73 of the guide groove 70 engages with
the horizontal rail portion 61 of the guide rail 60. This restricts
the displacement of the guide rail 60 in the upper-lower direction
with respect to the dispenser main body 10, that is to say, the
displacement of the shroud 50 in the upper-lower direction with
respect to the dispenser main body 10. Furthermore, when the guide
rail 60 is inserted to the guide groove 70, the vertical groove 74
of the guide groove 70 engages with the vertical rail portion 62 of
the guide rail 60. This restricts the displacement of the guide
rail 60 to the lateral side with respect to the dispenser main body
10, that is to say, the displacement of the shroud 50 to the
lateral side with respect to the dispenser main body 10.
As illustrated in FIGS. 10A to 11C, the dispenser main body 10 is
provided, at the insertion end, that is to say, in the rear end
portion of the guide groove 70 of the dispenser main body 10, with
an engagement surface 75, which is formed vertically with respect
to the direction in which the guide groove 70 extends and which
faces to the front side. An opening width at the insertion end of
the guide groove 70, that is to say, a gap between the engagement
surface 75 and the partition wall 72, is set to be greater than the
thickness of the vertical rail portion 62 of the guide rail 60 but
smaller than the thickness of the rear end portion of the vertical
rail portion 62 in which the engagement projection 63 is provided.
When the rear end portion of the vertical rail portion 62 passes
through the insertion end of the guide groove 70, the partition
wall 72 is deformed to enlarge the gap.
With the above structure, the shroud 50 may be slide-fitted to the
dispenser main body 10 by inserting the guide rail 60, which is
provided in the shroud 50, to the guide groove 70, which is
provided in the dispenser main body 10, to be guided by the guide
groove 70. At this time, as the front end portion of the guide rail
60 is inserted into the insertion end of the guide groove 70, the
horizontal rail portion 61 of the guide rail 60 is guided by the
horizontal groove 73 of the guide groove 70. Besides, as
illustrated in FIG. 11A, the vertical rail portion 62 of the guide
rail 60 is guided by the vertical groove 74 of the guide groove 70.
After the guide rail 60 is inserted gradually to the guide groove
70, the engagement projection 63, which is provided in the vertical
rail portion 62, reaches the insertion end of the guide groove 70.
Then, as illustrated in FIG. 11B, the partition wall 72 undergoes
elastic deformation to enlarge the gap between the engagement
surface 75 and the partition wall 72, and thus permitting the
engagement projection 63 to pass through the gap. Then, as
illustrated in FIG. 11C, when the guide rail 60 reaches its stroke
end position, the shroud 50 is in a predetermined fitted position
with respect to the dispenser main body 10 accordingly. At this
time, the engagement projection 63, which is provided in the guide
rail 60, abuts against an inner surface of the partition wall 72,
that is to say, the inner surface of the vertical groove 74 that
faces to the dispenser main body 10, and the vertical rail portion
62 is drawn to the dispenser main body 10 within the vertical
groove 74, and the end surface of the vertical rail portion 62,
that is to say, the engagement surface 64 abuts against the
engagement surface 75. Thus, when the guide rail 60 reaches its
stroke end position, the engagement surface 64, which is provided
in the rear end of the vertical rail portion 62 of the guide rail
60, comes into undercut engagement with the engagement surface 75
of the dispenser main body 10. Accordingly, the engagement surface
64 of the guide rail 60 engages with the engagement surface 75, and
rearward displacement of the guide rail 60 with respect to the
guide groove 70 is restricted. Thus, the shroud 50 is held to the
dispenser main body 10 while being prevented from slipping off.
Furthermore, once the guide rail 60 reaches its stroke end
position, the engagement surface 64 of the guide rail 60 comes into
undercut engagement with the engagement surface 75, and the
rearward displacement of the guide rail 60 with respect to the
guide groove 70 is restricted, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the edge
portion of the shroud 50 that is located on the front end side of
the bottom wall 53 abuts against an outer circumferential surface
of the coupling tube 11 of the dispenser main body 10, thereby
regulating forward displacement of the shroud 50 with respect to
the dispenser main body 10. The above processes permit the shroud
50 to be held in the predetermined fitted position in the state
where the shroud 50 is held to the dispenser main body 10 in the
forward and rearward directions.
Moreover, in the state where the guide rail 60 has reached its
stroke end position, the guide rail 60 is supported from below by
the corresponding disengagement prevention rib 76. With the above
configuration, even when a user applies significant force to the
shroud 50 in the upper-lower direction, the shroud 50 is prevented
from being disengaged due to downward displacement of the guide
rail 60 undergoing elastic deformation.
Moreover, as illustrated in FIG. 14, when the edge portion of the
front end side of the shroud 50 abuts against the outer
circumferential surface of the coupling tube 11 of the dispenser
main body 10, a rear-side rib 84, which is provided on the outer
circumferential surface of the coupling tube 11 and which extends
rearward, is fitted into a cut-out 83, which is provided on the
front end side of the bottom wall 53 of the shroud 50.
Consequently, displacement of the shroud 50 in the left and right
directions (in directions of arrows in FIG. 14) with respect to the
dispenser main body 10 is also restricted. Accordingly, the shroud
50 is held in the predetermined fitted position in the state where
the shroud 50 is ensured to be held to the dispenser main body 10
not only in the front-rear direction but also in the left-right
direction.
Additionally, to restrict the forward displacement of the shroud 50
with respect to the dispenser main body 10, it is not necessarily
needed to adopt the configuration in which the edge portion of the
front end side of the bottom wall 53 included in the shroud 50 is
brought into abutment with the outer circumferential surface of the
coupling tube 11 of the dispenser main body 10, and various other
configurations may be adopted. For example, the front end portion
of the guide rail 60 may be brought into abutment with a stopper
provided in the guide groove 70. Other portions of the shroud 50
may also be brought into abutment with portions of the dispenser
main body 10 that correspond thereto.
In this way, the guide rail 60, which is provided in the shroud 50,
is configured to include the horizontal rail portion 61 and the
vertical rail portion 62. Furthermore, by causing the guide rail 60
to slide-engage with the guide groove 70, which includes the
horizontal groove 73, configured to support the horizontal rail
portion 61, and the vertical groove 74, configured to support the
vertical rail portion 62, and by bringing the engagement surface 64
of the guide rail 60 into undercut engagement with the engagement
surface 75, provided in the dispenser main body 10, by the
engagement projection 63, provided in the guide rail 60, the shroud
50 is slide-fitted to the dispenser main body 10. Accordingly, with
the simple configuration in which the guide rail 60, provided in
the shroud 50, slide-engages with the guide groove 70, provided in
the dispenser main body 10, both the side walls 52 of the shroud
50, which are fitted to the dispenser main body 10, are prevented
from being expanded to the left and right, and the shroud 50 is
prevented from slipping off in the upper-lower direction, in the
left-right direction, and in the front-rear direction (i.e. the
sliding direction). Consequently, the configuration of the shroud
50 is simplified by omitting the need for providing, in the ceiling
wall 51 and the bottom wall 53, claw portions for undercut
engagement. Accordingly, the configuration of the mold used for
injection molding the resin material into the shroud 50 is also
simplified, and the manufacturing cycle is accelerated, and
productivity of the shroud 50 is enhanced.
Furthermore, since the engagement projection 63 of each guide rail
60 is the only portion of the shroud 50 that comes into undercut
engagement to hold the shroud 50 to the dispenser main body 10
while preventing the slipping-off, quality management in
manufacturing the shroud 50 is facilitated.
Moreover, since the configuration of the shroud 50 is simplified by
omitting the need for providing, in the ceiling wall 51 and the
bottom wall 53, claw portions for undercut engagement, deformation
due to shrinkage of the resin material occurs in less areas after
injection molding. Accordingly, an external good appearance of the
shroud 50 is improved.
Moreover, the length of the guide rail 60 in the front-rear
direction is sufficiently smaller than the length of the side wall
52 of the shroud 50 in the front-rear direction so that the front
end portion of the guide rail 60 is located away from the front end
edge of the side wall 52 of the shroud 50 and that the rear end
portion of the guide rail 60 is located away from the rear end edge
of the side wall 52 of the shroud 50. Accordingly, even the
shrinkage of the resin material in the portion provided with the
guide rail 60 is reduced, and the external good appearance of the
shroud 50 is improved in the portion.
As illustrated in FIGS. 6, 10A, and 10B, on each side portion of
the coupling tube 11, which is included in the dispenser main body
10, there is integrally provided a pair of plate-shaped pieces 80
and 81, one on top of the other. On the other hand, as illustrated
in FIGS. 6, 8A, 8B, and 8C, on an inner surface of a lower end
portion of each side wall 52, which is included in the shroud 50, a
guide rib 82 is provided. As illustrated in FIG. 6, when the shroud
50 is fitted in the predetermined fitted position with respect to
the dispenser main body 10 by the guide rail 60 reaching its stroke
end position, the guide ribs 82 are each fitted between the
corresponding pair of plate-shaped pieces 80 and 81 to be supported
in the upper-lower direction.
By thus configuring the shroud 50 to be supported by the dispenser
main body 10 by the engagement between the guide rib 82 and the
pair of plate-shaped pieces 80 and 81, in addition to the
engagement between the guide rail 60 and the guide groove 70, in
the state where the shroud 50 is fitted in the predetermined fitted
position with respect to the dispenser main body 10, the shroud 50
is fitted to the dispenser main body 10 more firmly and securely.
Furthermore, the use of the disengagement prevention rib 76 further
reinforces the fitting in the upper-lower direction by preventing
disengagement between the guide rail 60 and the guide groove 70 and
also reinforces the fitting in the left-right direction by
permitting the rear-side rib 84 to be fitted into the cut-out 83.
The above configuration prevents the shroud 50, even when being
applied with load in any of the upper, lower, left, right, front,
and rear directions, from being disengaged or displaced from the
dispenser main body 10.
Moreover, as illustrated in FIG. 6, when the shroud 50 is fitted in
the predetermined fitted position with respect to the dispenser
main body 10 by the guide rail 60 reaching its stroke end position
with respect to the guide groove 70, an inner surface of the
ceiling wall 51 of the shroud 50 is in abutment with an upper
surface of the extension portion 15 of the dispenser main body
10.
By thus configuring the shroud 50 to be supported by the dispenser
main body 10 by the abutment between the inner surface of the
ceiling wall 51 of the shroud 50 and the upper surface of the
extension portion 15 of the dispenser main body 10, in addition to
the engagement between the guide rail 60 and the guide groove 70,
in the state where the shroud 50 is fitted in the predetermined
fitted position with respect to the dispenser main body 10, the
shroud 50 is fitted to the dispenser main body 10 more firmly and
securely.
Additionally, although in the present embodiment the engagement
projection 63 is provided on the inner surface of the vertical rail
portion 62 of the guide rail 60, the engagement projection 63 may
be provided on an outer surface of the vertical rail portion 62
that faces to the dispenser main body 10. Furthermore, the
engagement projection 63 does not necessarily need to be provided
in the vertical rail portion 62 and may be provided in the
horizontal rail portion 61.
Although the configuration and advantageous effects of the present
disclosure have been described above, the trigger-type liquid
dispenser according to the present disclosure is not limited to the
above embodiment, and various changes may be made within the scope
of the claims. For example, although in the above embodiment the
cylinder is configured as a separate member from the dispenser main
body, the cylinder may be provided integrally with the dispenser
main body. Furthermore, the upright and inverted dual mechanism may
be omitted. Depending on the liquid dispensing mode, the cover may
also be omitted.
REFERENCE SIGNS LIST
1: Trigger-type liquid dispenser
2: Container
2a: Mouth
2b: Male screw
10: Dispenser main body
10a: Vent hole
11: Coupling wall
12: Fitting cap
12a: Female screw
13: Sealing member
14: Standing portion
15: Extension portion
16: Tube
17: Delivery port
18: Pump
19: Inner tubular wall
20: Outer tubular wall
20a: Air intake hole
21: Cylinder
22: Outlet/inlet hole
23: Piston
23a: Concave portion
24: Front-side sealing piece
25: Rear-side sealing piece
26: Outer-circumferential-side support portion
27: Inner-circumferential-side support portion
28: Cut-off portion
29: Coupling wall
30: Annular wall
31: Annular wall projection
32: Projection
33: First check valve
34: Second check valve
35: Trigger
36: Pivot shaft
37: Pin member
38: Upright and inverted dual mechanism
38a: Valve body
38b: Valve chamber
38c: Outlet hole
38d: Inlet hole
38e: Flow path used during inversion
39: Nozzle
39a: Dispensing hole
39b: Hinge
40: Cover
50: Shroud
51: Ceiling wall
52: Side wall
53: Bottom wall
54: Rear end wall
60: Guide rail
61: Horizontal rail portion
62: Vertical rail portion
63: Engagement projection
63a: Flat surface
63b: Tilted surface
64: Engagement surface
70: Guide groove
71: Recess
72: Partition wall
73: Horizontal groove
74: Vertical groove
75: Engagement surface
76: Disengagement prevention rib
80: Plate-shaped piece
81: Plate-shaped piece
82: Guide rib
83: Cut-out
84: Rear-side rib
P1: Standing flow path
P2: Extension flow path
S: Plate spring
* * * * *